The Zero Requiem
by xx.false-deception
Summary: He had so many reasons not to—so many reasons to stay. But he couldn't, not for any one of them. Because this was the Zero Requiem, and he had to see it through.


**Disclaimer:** Lelouch _lives_!...In my heart, at least...

**Word Count:**691

I greatly dislike FFN's formatting...

* * *

It was heart-wrenching; heart-breaking. Lelouch had never predicted it to hurt so much.

---

_"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, aurelian eyes uncharacteristically concerned._

"_What more do I have to lose?" he retorted, masking the tears in his voice with indifference. Despite his best efforts, however, she still saw through his mask._

---

"Lelouch vi Britannia, the 99th Emperor, has died," he heard Cornelia announce. "Release the prisoners!" The authority that layered her voice never ceased to amaze him. No doubt she could become a competent ruler – but not as great as him, the demon emperor.

He stayed immobile, eyes closed, listening to Jeremiah _—_ his ever loyal Orange _—_ yelling orders for a stretcher.

---

"_Do you really want to do this?" the Knight of Zero asked again. He had become rather persistent on the subject, as of late._

"_Remember, Suzaku, this is your punishment, as well." He forced a smile, as his friend bowed his head in resignation — for the time being, at least._

"_Yes, Your Majesty." Formal as always, Lelouch noted._

---

What tore him apart the most were her tears _—_ Nunnally's tears, as she realized the truth of his actions.

'_This was for you,'_ he wanted to tell her. _'I love you.'_

Meanwhile, her relentless sobs of 'onii-sama' were drowned out by the crowd as they began chanting the name of their hero: _Zero_.

---

"_It's not too late to back out, Lelouch." His determined beryl eyes were unwavering. "You don't have to do this."_

"_Suzaku, you shall kill me, as promised." He paused, easing another fake smile in place. "All the hatred of the world has been gathered on me. All you have to do is erase my existence, and put an end to this chain of chaos, so that the world may embrace the future."_

"_And that's…" He looked at his friend — the person he trusted, the person he hated — finding it difficult to say._

_"The Zero Requiem." Their voices echoed together in the empty chamber._

---

"The power of kings, known as Geass, brings one solitude." She chuckled lightly to herself, bemused by the thought. "Not quite accurate, is it?" She paused, but when no answer came, she added, "Do you regret it?"

"Regret what, witch?" He snapped the reins on the horses, and they picked up pace.

"You gave up your mortality for the sake of the world, did you not?" she asked nonchalantly, toying with a piece of hair that had fallen out of her braids.

"I didn't really have a choice," he replied, keeping his eyes fixated on the road as he adjusted his hat.

"I suppose not." Their conversation, for the moment, ended there.

---

"_Tell him to stop this madness," he pleaded, and C.C. could see how torn he was. Lelouch was Euphemia's murderer, but his best friend at the same time. She tried to find words of comfort, and failed — besides, it wasn't like her to hold sympathy for others, anyway._

"_He won't listen." It was a simple statement; a simple statement which flared the Knight's anger._

"_He _loves_ you! You know that! A—As much," his voice broke, and he tried to regain his composure. "As much as he does Nunnally." It came out in a near whisper._

"_But it's different." She turned away._

_---  
_

"So," she finally said, breaking the silence between them, "what's the most painful part of dying?"

He smirked. "Am I going to have to succumb to your questions for the rest of eternity?"

"If you don't answer them now, that is." She breathed in the fresh country air as she waited. "Well?"

"Well…" He considered the question for a while, before her impatient grunt made him answer. "It's not being stabbed, if that's what you think. It's…having to leave."

"But you're not really leaving," she stated.

"No, but it feels like it." And, mentally, he added, _'After all, this is the Zero Requiem.'_

* * *

**A/N:** Alas, I have returned! I could tell you many a tales of my wrestling with writer's block, and it's evil plan to eat all plot bunnies...But I'm not going to! XD

Instead, I'd just like to clear things up. How did Lelouch live, you ask? He stole Charles immortality back in the world of C! (How else could he have killed him? ;) Anyways, this was all written at one in the morning, so...Hurrah!

I also apologize for the lack of creativity in the title. I was going to use something like, "Inception", to represent the new beginnings, and all, but it was also the end of something, and there are just no words that I like to describe both...


End file.
